


The House

by EmeraldLight



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Discrimination, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Injury, M/M, Polyamory, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23626804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldLight/pseuds/EmeraldLight
Summary: Some Who Wander Are LostThe House is a place of safety, love, acceptance, and understanding for LGBTQA+ teenagers in need. And Keith Kogane is in need.
Relationships: Adam/Curtis/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

Keith was both eagerly awaiting the winter break, and dreading it, the dark haired newly seventeen year old making his way through his high school with hands shoved into the front pocket of his oversize hoodie. School had never been kind to Keith, a combination of being well known as an orphan, and equally well known as being gay. The latter not being something Keith had wanted to get out, but bullies always seemed to know their victims deepest, darkest, secrets.

So while Keith was excited to escape the daily hazing that came from the multiple jocks who sought to make his life a living hell, he wasn’t looking forward to two weeks sequestered with a bunch of pre-teens. He was the oldest in the children’s home, by far, and the holidays were the hardest to cope with. It was hard not to be spiteful when some of the children still believed there was happiness in the world.

“What’s on your mind, Kogane?”

Keith frowned as he looked up from his lackluster tray of lunch ‘food,’ meeting the gaze of one Lance McClain. He had seen the younger male around, usually hanging out with two very differently sized friends, so it was unusual to see Lance without his sidekicks.

“Can I help you, McClain?”

“You look like you’re trying to figure out world peace,” Lance joked, leaning on the cafeteria table. “You’ve been especially agitated lately and I thought I’d ask what was going on.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because rumors suck,” Lance shrugged. “Been there, done that, but mine usually revolve around my family and the farm.”

Keith rolled his eyes. A long time ago he had stopped trying to make friends, working to get through life without the help of others. Sure, it wasn’t going all that well for him, and in less than a year he would age out of the ‘system’ and be on his own, yet here he was.

“Look, Keith,” Lance sighed, plucking something out of his pocket and sliding it across the table towards the dark haired teen. “Just… call, okay? Trust me on this. Humor me, even. Just because /you/ don’t want to be friends, doesn’t mean I’m going to let you suffer.” With that, Lance turned and left the cafeteria, leaving Keith staring at the black business card resting on the table. Curiosity got the best of him and, after glancing around to make sure no one was looking, Keith took the card in hand and gazed down at the holographic writing.

The House  
665-369-5263  
Some Who Wander Are Lost

Keith frowned, rubbing his thumb over the raised lettering, feeling his head tilt to one side, just a little, as he wondered what in the world Lance had been trying to hint at. He had absolutely no idea what ‘The House’ was, nor why Lance was so insistent that he call the number listed, but yet again he found himself unable to ignore his curiosity. Finding a quiet place in the furthest corner of the cafeteria, Keith pulled a battered flip-style phone from his hoodie and quickly keyed in the number.

“Thanks for calling The House, my name is Adam, how can I help you?”

“I… uh… I was given this card…” Keith found himself unsure what to say, glancing around as he spoke.

“And you aren’t sure what The House is, and why someone thought you needed us.” Keith could practically feel the other person, Adam, smiling through the phone.

“Yeah…”

“The House is a safe haven for those in need,” Adam explained.

“Some who wander are lost,” Keith repeated the slogan on the business card.

“Exactly. Unfortunately there are young people in this world who aren’t safe at home, or just need a place to be themselves, if only for a few hours,” Adam told him. “The House was built especially for those types of people.”

“Gay people…”

“Well, more than that, but those with a sexuality that has gotten them kicked out of their homes, or perhaps a gender that has gotten them assaulted, those are our most common residents.”

“And you… let people live with you?”

“If needed, yes. We have plenty of rooms. We’re family.”

Keith was quiet for quite some time, his free hand picking at the seam of his jeans as he struggled with the information he was given.

“Do you need a place to stay?” Adam asked, his voice soft, caring and tender. “Do you need a place where you can be safe, and happy?”

“I mean… I’m already an orphan…”

“Do you fall under the, very diverse, categories we cater to?”

“Yeah…”

“Then you’re welcome to join our family, if you want to.”

When Keith agreed, his voice barely heard, Adam had him write down an address and advised him to perhaps touch base with the person who had handed him the card. If Keith was in need of a ride, that is. The House was located just outside of city limits, apparently, and while they offered a shuttle several times a day to get residents to and from school, jobs, whatever they needed, sometimes the shuttle was overwhelming to new family members.

And so, at the end of the school day, Keith quietly sought out Lance, catching the brunette’s wrist before he chickened out. Lance paused, turning towards Keith with a surprised expression.

“Kogane?”

“I… uh…” Keith stammered, feeling incredibly awkward. “Are you heading to… uh… The House?” It was in this moment that Keith realized why The House had been given such a name, it was very easy to mention without anyone having any idea what was being referred to. Perfect for those needing to stay under the radar.

“Oh! Totally, we go every friday, after school,” Lance grinned, motioning to his friends. “It’s a great place to study, and Curtis makes the best snacks.” When the larger of the two friends cleared his throat, Lance flushed a little.

“Oh, and Hunk helps, obviously.”

“Can… I hitch a ride?” Keith asked softly, feeling incredibly awkward.

“Hell yeah.”

Leading the way to the school parking lot, Lance chatted easily with his friends, introducing Hunk and Pidge to Keith and flailing his hands as he walked and talked. He wasn’t surprised when Keith simply followed along behind them, though he did glance over his shoulder to make sure he hadn’t been left behind.

Keith wasn’t surprised to find that Lance drove a beat up old pickup truck, paint peeling rusty in spots, and clearly well used. Typical farm boy. They had to squeeze together, Pidge and Keith crammed into the barely there back seat as the four of them headed out of the city. It was only a thirty minute drive, but Keith was glad it didn’t take much longer, legs cramping from the tight quarters. At least Pidge’s short stature worked in her favor.

The House was impressive, found at the end of a long gravel driveway and set into the countryside just far enough from the city to be private, but not so far out as to make travel excessive. It looked to be a ranch style home with a large, covered, wrap around deck, and Keith wondered just how many people were living in it. He had thought it would be bigger, or perhaps even two levels, but this seemed like a standard two thousand square foot home, to him.

Inside, Keith realize the house was larger than it looked - it was horseshoe shaped, bedrooms in both wings, with communal spaces in the front-facing middle. This was where Keith entered, Pidge and Hunk branching off and leaving Lance standing shoulder to shoulder with said dark haired male.

“Oh, Lance!”

“Hey Adam,” Lance smiled, waving a hand. “I brought a friend.”

“The one who called earlier, I assume,” Adam smiled, making his way out of the laundry room and crossing through the kitchen to approach the pair. Keith nodded, shifting somewhat uncomfortably as the older male came to stand in front of he and Lance. He accepted Adam’s offered hand, shaking politely.

“I’m Adam, it’s nice to meet you…?”

“Keith.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Keith. I’m glad you called.”

“Adam is one of the people who keeps this place from crumbling around us,” Lance explained. “He, Curtis, and Shiro started The House so troubled teens had a place to go.”

“I’m sure Keith doesn’t need our history right now,” Adam chuckled. “Besides, you know the rules, Lance. I need to ask Keith some questions.”

“Don’t panic,” Lance said quickly, gently touching Keith’s hip. “You don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to. Adam just needs to made sure you’re a good fir for all of us, that’s all.” Keith nodded slowly, glancing between the teenager and the adult before he accepted Adam’s hand and was lead off, passing through a large living room that was occupied only by Pidge and Hunk. Adam led the teen into a, somewhat cramped, office and motioned for him to sit down in one of two comfortable arm chairs.

“Lance is right,” Adam said. “If I’m asking questions you don’t feel comfortable answering, just let me know.” The light brown haired man collected a clipboard from where it hung on the wall, followed by pulling a pen from the painted tin can that rested on the desk.

“Okay…”

“Based on our conversation earlier today, what makes you think The House is somewhere you need to be?” Adam asked, jotting down Keith’s name at the top of the page attached to his clipboard.

“I, uh, live at the children’s home and I’m… uh… I’m gay…”

“You’re pretty old to still be in a home, aren’t you?”

“I don’t do well with authority, making me a less than ideal candidate for foster care” Keith shrugged. “And I didn’t end up there until I was twelve. Well past the time most kids get adopted.”

Adam nodded, making notes as Keith spoke, before continuing his questions, “Is being gay causing problems for you?”

“It’s the hot topic around school…”

“People suck.”

“Do they ever,” Keith muttered, making both of them chuckle, the tension easing a little.

“I just…” Keith continued, “The holidays are coming, and being surrounded by a bunch of screaming pre-teens who still believe in santa…”

Watching the teen pull his knees up against his chest made Adam smile sadly, the tanned man setting his clipboard aside as he moved to crouch in front of Keith. He waited quietly, and patiently, as Keith struggled against his emotions, brown eyes watching him carefully. When he anticipated tears began to form, Adam rested a gentle hand on Keith’s knee and held his other one open and away from his body, offering a hug, but only if Keith wanted it. He wasn’t surprised when Keith gazed at him warily, no doubt trying to figure out if Adam was sincere or if he was playing some sort of cruel joke.

Deeming Adam’s offer sincere, Keith pushed himself forward and all but fell into Adam’s embrace, hiding his face in the older man’s neck. Adam smiled and let himself settle on his backside, holding Keith close and stroking the back of his head.

“You don’t have to be strong all the time, Keith,” he soothed, unsurprised when Keith’s shoulders began to shake, long suppressed emotions finally bubbling upwards. “At least, you don’t have to be strong here. This is a place of love, acceptance, and understanding. All we ask is that you don’t cause trouble.”

Not expecting an answer, Adam scooted the two of them backwards enough that he could lean against the arm chair, gently rocking Keith and resting his chin on the top of shaggy dark hair. This wasn’t the first time he had comforted an emotional teenager, even the ones who, on the outside, seemed big and strong, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last time. And he wouldn’t change it for the world.


	2. Chapter 2

“Pidge. Hunk. Ride’s here.”

The teens in question hauled themselves up from their respective slouched positions on the couch, gathered their things, and headed for the front door. Adam smiled and held the door open for them as they made their way outside and to the waiting minivan, waiting until the van had driven off before stepping back inside. Most of the house was quiet for the night, residents in their rooms, or their friend’s rooms, but the living room still held a few sporadic people watching some sort of holiday special.

This included Lance and new arrival, Keith, the latter of the two having sunk deep into the couch and eventually curled up on his side, head laying on Lance’s lap. The brunette had no complaints, stroking Keith’s hair gently or absently braiding the shaggy locks.

“Sleeping?” Adam asked, voice soft as he peered over the back of the couch and down at the emotionally spent teenager.

“Yeah,” Lance smiled. “He went down maybe, I dunno, fifteen minutes ago? Mid-conversation and everything.”

“It’s been a long day for him, that’s for sure.” Adam moved to come around the couch, planning on moving Keith to one of the empty bedrooms, but a large hand settled on his shoulder, stilling him.

“I’ve got him, don’t worry.”

Shiro smiled and pressed a kiss to the side of his husband’s head before doing what Adam had planned to do, carefully gathering Keith’s body into his arms. A slight frown crossed his face, even as he watched the seventeen year old curl against his chest, but he said nothing as he made his way into the west wing of the house. Lance and Adam followed after him, the older of the two reaching past Shiro to open one of the unoccupied rooms.

“He’s light,” Shiro commented, carefully laying Keith on the bottom of one of the bunks. “Help me get this hoodie off?” Lance stood back as Shiro and Adam worked to free Keith from his bulky, oversize hoodie, revealing a much smaller body than any of them had expected. Tugging the hoodie off had also lifted his t-shirt enough to expose bruises along Keith’s torso, making Shiro frown even more.

“Small, but very fit,” he said, gently tugging Keith’s shirt down to cover his stomach before Adam tucked the teenager under the blankets.

“The jocks can’t really deal all that much damage,” Lance said from the doorway. “Keith’s fast, and strong, even if he’s small.”

“Well, someone is still getting their hands on him, unfortunately. I’m glad you directed him to us, Lance.”

“I wish I had gotten the nerve a little sooner,” Lance admitted.

“Are you staying in here tonight, then?” Adam smiled at Lance. “You know there are a few other rooms open, or even the couch.”

“Yeah, I’ll stay in here. Just… just in case, you know?”

“You should just tell him you’re in love with him,” Shiro chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from Keith’s face before he stepped past Lance and left the bedroom, Adam close behind him. Lance sighed, glancing at the sleeping form of the dark haired teen who had never really given him the time of day, wondering why he kept punishing himself by pining over someone who barely knew he existed.

Love sucks, man.

Shaking his head, Lance wiggled out of his jeans and left himself in his t-shirt and boxers before climbing up onto the top bunk and settling into the blankets. He knew he could have opted to sleep in the other bunk which sat across from the one Keith was using, but Lance was compelled to stay as close to his new friend as possible. With winter upon them, each of the beds had a hand-made knitted blanket laid over the standard issue blanket, warm and comforting. Shiro had incredible talent, even if you wouldn’t expect it from the wealthy business man - under his professional exterior was someone who wanted nothing more than to have a big family. And seeing as he couldn’t have kids of his own, Shiro had made his own family, giving shelter to those in need.

*****

Keith’s eyes shot open and he found himself jerking a little in the bed, heart racing as his mind switched over from the nightmare he had been having to the fact he was safe and not currently running for his life. That didn’t mean his anxiety wasn’t digging at his chest, making him blow out long, slow breaths. Nightmares weren’t something new for Keith, not by a long shot, but that didn’t make them any easier - you just simply got used to it, and learned to calm yourself afterwards.

With one final deep breath, Keith pushed himself up and threw his legs over the edge of the bed, moving to stand. He wasn’t expecting a hand to fall from the top bunk and bounce off the side of his face, causing a startled shout and making him jump, bashing his head into the metal bars above him. The person belonging to the hand reacted with a similar squeal, Lance flailing about before he fell off his bed and landed with a solid thud on the floor. Heads spinning, blue eyes met purple as the two teenagers struggled to figure out what had happened, Lance staring in shock when Keith suddenly burst out laughing.

“I thought you were a zombie!” Keith was almost hysterical, smiling so hard that his cheeks hurt, and Lance immediately realized this was the first time he had ever seen Keith with a smile. Sure, the night before he had seen Keith with his guard down, while he was sleeping, but this was so very different.

“A… what?”

“I was dreaming about zombies and then you whacked me in the face and I thought you were a damn zombie!” Keith was laughing so hard now that he was starting to squeak, cheeks flushing.

“I didn’t mean to hit you!” Lance tried to protest, but instead he found himself caught up in the laughter, beginning to giggle as well. They were lost to the laughter for several minutes, Keith falling onto his side as he worked to calm himself, once more taking long, slow, deep breaths. His head ached, both from the laughter, and from where it had slammed into the bunk, but right that moment, he didn’t care.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, wiggling forward so he could see over the edge of the bed, looking Lance over.

“I’m not easily broken,” Lance shrugged, rubbing his shoulder a little but overall not feeling all that much pain. When Keith simply smiled, just a little, Lance smiled in return and moved to his feet.

“Come on, breakfast time,” he told him, plucking Keith’s hoodie off the back of the door where it had been hung and tossing it to the older male. Keith glanced away when he realized Lance was only in boxers, hearing the sound of Lance tugging on his jeans. Being nude, or near nude, around others wasn’t something new to the orphan, private space wasn’t really a thing in a group home, but he still knew how to give a person privacy.

“I’ll introduce you to Curtis and Shiro,” Lance said, leading Keith from the bedroom and back into the main living area. He had been right about breakfast, the smell of bacon, eggs, and french toast filling Keith’s nose. Keith couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten something other than plain cereal or oatmeal, sometimes topped with fruit, and the idea of having something so decadent was enough to make his stomach growl.

Dinner the night before had been simple, burritos, and even that had filled Keith more than he had been in what felt like much too long. It was probably what had made him so drowsy, and Keith barely remembered falling asleep on the couch, let alone being moved to a bed.

Standing in the kitchen was another adult with brown hair and tanned skin, though this one was a bit thicker than Adam had been, and there was an even larger man holding him from behind. This man had light skin and dark hair, and was resting his chin on the cooking man’s shoulder, arms wrapped around him.

“Keith,” Lance said, clearing his throat with a smile. “This is Shiro and Curtis. Shiro is the one who built The House and created the safe haven. Curtis, and Adam, who you met yesterday, keep us all in line and make sure the house stays upright.”

Shiro stepped away from Curtis, smiling brightly and approaching Keith with an outstretched hand.

“It’s so good to meet you, Keith,” he beamed, appreciating the firm handshake Keith gave him. “Welcome home.”

“Home?” Keith frowned a little.

“If you want to, of course,” Curtis chimed in, wiggling his spatula at Shiro. “Don’t pressure him, Shiro. He has to make his own choice to be here. Just because you want another kid doesn’t mean they want you.” He was teasing, of course, smiling as he turned back towards the oversize indoor griddle the kitchen had been fitted with.

While Shiro and Keith spoke, teenagers of all shapes and sizes came and went from the kitchen, accepting plates of food from Curtis, some fully dressed, others in their pajamas, and even a few bundled in blankets and barely seen aside from a partial face and their outstretched hand. Lance included himself in the group being fed, trusting Keith to find his own way as he joined the others.

“Adam told me that you’re currently living in the children’s home,” Shiro watched Keith as he spoke, leaning against the door frame of the pantry and making sure to stay out of the way of everyone else in the kitchen.

“Yeah, for about five years now.”

“Well, if you want to move in here, we can go get your stuff, and I can have words with whoever runs the home,” Shiro said, acting as though it was an incredibly easy thing. “I haven’t ever had a chance to talk to a parent, so to speak, when it comes to bringing someone new into The House so, not gonna lie, it’s kind of exciting.”

Keith wasn’t really sure how to respond to such a thing, but he accepted Shiro’s offer none the less. What did he have to lose? At least living with Shiro and the others meant a private room, or at least somewhat private, and the food here was a lot better than what the group home had been offering him. That was how he found himself seated in Shiro’s black, four door Jeep, the two heading into town.

“Keith, I know that Adam asked a lot of questions yesterday, but I was wondering… are you safe? At the home, I mean?” Shiro cleared his throat a little. “You’re just, well, rather skinny, and when we took off your hoodie last night, there were bruises… Lance said there were bullies at the school, but I was just curious…”

“It’s only at school,” Keith nodded, watching the world go by via his passenger window. “While I’m not really happy at the home, they were never bad to me. I was fed, clothed, given a warm bed. They did their best, even if I’m a shitty teenager.”

“Keith, you’re not--”

“No, I am. I break a lot of rules, I get into fights at school, even if I don’t start them, and I’m always sneaking out,” Keith continued, picking at the front pocket of his hoodie. “I really don’t do well being confined, and I won’t, or really can’t, deny that I’m pissed off at the world. But it was never painful to live in the home, if that makes sense.”

“You just weren’t happy.”

“I’m fucking miserable.”

“I’m glad Lance finally reached out to you,” Shiro said. “We’ve been hearing about you for the entire school year, honestly. He’s been worried about you, but we have a rule that all new family members need to contact us themselves. We can’t force ourselves onto anyone, we need them to make their own choices.”

“Liability, I’m sure,” Keith nodded, even if he was also confused. Surely there were plenty of kids who needed to be rescued?

“Well, the police and the hospital know who we are, and what we do, including how much money we put into our family members,” Shiro told him. “And they know our rules. There are times where we are called into serious cases, but it’s very rare. Most kids don’t know how to press charges, or even if they can, but we’re a registered foster family and we have special grants from the government to allow us to take as many kids as needed. Well, until the beds run out, I mean.”

Keith wasn’t sure how to respond to that, watching as they passed into city limits and headed for the middle of the city where the children’s home was located. After so many years of his life being unstable, of never really fitting in or feeling secure, Keith was finally finding his place in the world, even if it wasn’t where he thought it would be. If he was being honest, and eventually he probably would be, he would admit that he didn’t think anything would ever go his way. Or if it did, it would only be after a great deal of struggle, and after he was let go from the children’s home and sent out to try and survive on his own.

It was going to take time, he knew that, but soon he would see it as something more than survival.

He was going to be living.

And he was going to be happy.


	3. Chapter 3

Adam groaned when the phone beside his bed went off, scrunching himself into a ball for just a moment before he sighed and reached out, plucking it from the bedside table. The number that flashed on the screen woke him fully, sitting up quickly and putting the phone to his ear. As he listened, and spoke quietly, a hand slid over his hip, making Adam lace his fingers with Shiro’s and give them a squeeze.

“How bad?” Shiro asked softly, feeling Curtis shuffle against his side as he woke as well.

“Bad,” Adam sighed, lowering his phone. “Make up a bed, preferably in an empty room, please?” Shiro and Curtis agreed, watching their husband work to get dressed and grab his keys, starting his pickup from a distance.

“We’ll take care of it, don’t worry,” Curtis assured him. “Just drive safe, okay? It’s pitch black out there and the roads will be shit, especially if it’s still snowing.”

The two remaining adults in the house moved with purpose, lights in the common areas coming on as they worked to prepare a room like Adam had asked. Neither took notice of the couch where Lance and Keith had been sitting, Lance playing video games while Keith watched, though the two of them were focussed on the agitated adults. Clearly something was going on, but now wasn’t the time to ask, and seeing as they hadn’t been banished to Keith’s room, they weren’t going to press their luck. Both wanted to see what was happening.

It would be nearly two in the morning when Adam arrived back at The House, carefully guiding a young male with shockingly white hair into the entry. Both Keith and Lance immediately sat up straighter, recognizing one of the outspoken jocks from their high school - Lotor. The hair was an easy give away, but the way his face was badly beaten, and how one arm was hidden under his large winter jacket, made the two teenagers wonder what had happened.

“It’s okay,” Curtis spoke softly as he approached the pair, gentle hands helping Lotor remove his jacket, exposing the damage wrist he kept tight to his chest.

“They gave him something for the pain, so I suggest we put him to bed,” Adam said, peeling off his own winter layers as Curtis knelt to help Lotor take off his boots. Brown eyes caught sight of the two teenagers on the couch and, watching Lance and Keith sink down out of sight, Adam simply sighed and watched Curtis lead Lotor into the west wing of the house.

“Boys.”

Lance and Keith both jumped, having not noticed Shiro step close to the couch, twisting to view their ‘parent.’

“You know him.” It wasn’t a question. There were two high schools in their city, but it was clear that Lance and Keith knew exactly who had just walked into his home.

“He’s been tormenting Keith all year,” Lance nodded.

“He never touched me,” Keith said quickly. “But… a lot of words. A /lot/ of words.” Keith glanced over his shoulder, looking down the hallway where Curtis and Adam had taken Lotor.

“What happened to him?”

“Adam’s the only one who knows right now,” Shiro answered honestly. “I’m sure he’ll explain everything once they put him to bed. But that’s not your business, so I suggest both of you go to bed.” Once more, it was a firm comment, Shiro watching the two hesitate before obeying, Lance taking Keith’s hand in his own and leading the still somewhat stunned teen away. It took everything Shiro had not to smile - in the week that Keith had been with them, he had already started seeing the troubled teen coming out of his shell, and he had no doubt that it was mostly because of his blossoming friendship with Lance.

Adam and Curtis made their way into the living room not long after the boys had went to bed, Shiro motioning for the three of them to settle on the couch. He sat in the middle and happily accepted a man under each arm, holding them close and pressing a kiss to each of their heads.

“His parents figured out he was gay,” Adam finally explained after sitting curled against Shiro’s side for nearly fifteen quiet minutes. Curtis reached across Shiro’s chest and laced his fingers with the other brunette, watching him quietly from where he rested his head against Shiro’s shoulder.

“And his wrist?”

“Broken,” Adam nodded. “I have to take him back in a day or two when the swelling goes down enough that they can take secondary x-rays and then put a cast on it.”

“They’re worried it’s worse than they can see,” Curtis said. “The swelling might be masking something, and seeing as they can’t put a cast on it just yet anyways, it doesn’t hurt for them to wait a short bit.” Curtis had worked to obtain his emergency responder qualifications specifically for this sort of thing, to be able to provide medical assistance to all the children in his care.

“Apparently he’s one of the ones who’s been bullying Keith,” Shiro told them. “He never laid a hand on Keith, but he was one of the ones spitting homophobic garbage at him.”

“Makes sense, unfortunately,” Adam said. “Deflection. An attempt to hide what he was. Trying to put attention on someone else so others didn’t figure out his secret.” It was common, unfortunately, and the three adults weren’t strangers to this sort of thing.

“Let’s get some sleep,” Curtis suggested, standing and offering out a hand towards the other two. Curling up together in bed would most likely not result in sleep, at least not good sleep, but it was a lot more comfortable than the couch.

*****

With school out for the next two weeks, the house was packed quite tightly, especially considering the weather outside was keeping most of the ‘kids’ inside - it just wouldn’t stop snowing, but at least they were somewhat damp snowflakes and would make for good snowballs and fort building. That was what led the more adventurous teenagers outside, Keith sitting on the railing of the back deck, watching Lance and a couple kids their age battle each other in a snowball fight. Keith wasn’t really ready to start participating in this sort of thing, mostly opting to watch, but he wasn’t going to complain. He liked watching, and he even had a small smile on his face, watching his new friends darting around, hooting and hollering at one another. Behind him was a covered, glassed in area something akin to a sunroom, offering all the benefits of outdoor life without the snow (or in the summer, without the bugs, as the glass panels slid away and opened up screens).

“Keith!” Lance was panting, skin both chilled and yet flushed, chest heaving from the exertion. “You should come play with us! We’re going to build a huge fort!”

“You’re done with the snowball fight?” Keith tilted his head, reaching out to brush some snow from Lance’s short hair with a quiet chuckle. The lanky male stood between Keith’s knees, though Keith’s place on the railing left the dark haired teenager ‘taller’ than him for the time being.

“For now. We’ve decided we needed something to defend, so… a fort!” Lance declared, smiling brightly. “Come help us build?” Keith chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, taking in the way Lance’s eyes seemed so much brighter, the excitement making them almost sparkle. Keith was trying to stop being such a depressed recluse, right? Sure, he was starting to come out of his shell, but maybe he just needed to try a little harder?

“Yeah… I guess,” he agreed, but couldn’t move until Lance stepped back. For a moment they were both simply watching one another, sapphire and indigo, before Lance blushed and stepped away, letting Keith drop down into the packed down snow.

Lance was well aware of why he felt this way, it was exactly what Shiro had teased him about. He was head over hells in love with Keith, but the last thing he wanted was to ruin his growing friendship with Keith by blabbing his feelings. Maybe in a few weeks… or maybe months… he’d say something. Maybe when he figured out if Keith was even looking for an actual relationship, or if he saw Lance as anything more than a friend. And if it turned out all Keith wanted was to be friends, so be it. He’d do pretty much anything to be with Keith, in any which way, shape, or form.

Not far away, curled up in one of the oversize, plush camping chairs that adorned the inside of the glassed in room, was Lotor. Pale blue eyes watched the fun going on outside, but the bruised and broken male was in no shape to be cavorting around in the snow. His wrist was freshly casted, resting carefully on his lap as his dominant hand held a book, not that Lotor had been able to focus on it. He had arrived at the house three days earlier, rescued from his abusive home life thanks to kind doctors, patient police officers, a concerned child services woman, and three very welcoming adults.

Lotor hadn’t expected things to go this way when the doctor had suggest he call the number listed on a black business card, but when he had heard Adam’s voice on the other end, and had blurted out his story, everything had changed. Sobbing despite the pain his bruised ribs were causing, struggling to breathe thanks to his broken nose, and bruised in many, many places, Lotor had accepted the help he hadn’t even known had been waiting for him. Starting with walking through town in the dead of night so he could take his broken body to the hospital, followed by the police, and then child services, showing up. From there he had been given the business card, and here he was a few days later, safe.

Another thing he hadn’t expected was to come across Keith Kogane in the same house, the two sharing awkward looks when ever they passed one another, but neither brave enough to speak.

“Hey… Lotor, right?”

Jerking out of his thoughts, Lotor fumbled his book, sending the hard cover book he was carrying tumbling to the ground. The person who had startled him quickly apologized, crouching and scooping up the book. Brown eyes met baby blue and both males smiled, the situation making them chuckle.

“Sorry about that, didn’t mean to scare you,” the older, but not as old as the ‘adults,’ male said, offering the book back to Lotor.

“Guess I was just thinking too hard,” Lotor tried to brush it off, accepting the book.

“I’m happy to lend an ear, if you need one.” Shifting himself to sit on the chair across from Lotor, the young adult pulled his knees against his chest, before realization dawned on him.

“Oh! I’m Matt, by the way.”

“You look… kinda familiar…”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Matt grinned. “Pidge is my younger sister, and with her strange ass haircut, the family resemblance is really there.” Lotor nodded, agreeing that this was exactly what he had been thinking but couldn’t put his finger on.

“Are you… uh…” Lotor frowned, not sure how to ask the question, still coming to terms with the truths he had been trying to run from for far too long.

“I’m open to pretty much anything,” Matt answered honestly. “Haven’t found anyone, or anything, that really caught my attention, but stranger things have happened. I don’t feel compelled to actively search for anything, but if it happens, it happens.”

“Oh…”

“What about you? What bring you to the mighty House? I mean, aside from the obvious.”

“Gay,” Lotor glanced away as he said this. “My parents figured it out… I’m not sure how, but I’m sure I said something, or did something, or… I don’t know, maybe I didn’t cover my tracks well enough.”

“That’s not a reason to hurt your child,” Matt muttered. “I’m sorry that happened, dude. That’s just not right. You can’t control who you’re attracted to.”

“Tell me about it…”

Matt shifted his position and crossed his legs under himself, motioning towards Lotor with one hand.

“So… is your hair naturally that color?”

“Yeah,” Lotor smiled, even if the action made the bruising across his face ache. “I’m pigment challenged, but apparently I don’t fall under the category of Albino, so I’m just weird, I guess.”

“I dig it,” Matt told him. “You should grow it out, I bet it would look awesome if it was long.”

“Long?” Lotor lifted his hand, touching his close cropped hair with a thoughtful expression on his face. “That’s pretty gay, isn’t it?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Lotor had regret, lowering his eyes to his lap.

“Sorry…”

“Habits are hard to break,” Matt said. “Don’t worry about it. Pidge told me about school, and I get it, we’ve all done things we regret. It’s going to take time, but you’ll figure yourself out. I have a feeling you’re going to be building yourself a whole new persona now that you’re here.” Leaning forward and extending his hand over the coffee table that sat between the two of them, Matt smiled a little wider.

“I look forward to getting to know the new Lotor, because honestly, I don’t know the old one.”

Lotor returned the smile and shook hands, ignoring the way his stomach jumped when Matt’s fingers brushed over his palm as they released one another. Was this what it was like? Was this what people meant when they talked about having crushes? Was this why his stomach felt almost the same way as it did when there was a big sporting event?

Was it supposed to happen so fast?

Was it because his heart knew he was safe, even if his brain wasn’t sure?

Hormones suck.


	4. Chapter 4

Keith sighed as he sat curled up in an arm chair, watching everyone in the house cram into the living room and swap gifts, all care of Shiro giving each and every member of the family a bit of money to go shopping with. There was no obligation to buy /everyone/ a gift, which was a relief, and Keith wasn’t surprised when he didn’t receive anything. Besides, he had only been in The House for two weeks, and really, his only friend was Lance. Well, unless Pidge and Hunk came over.

What he hadn’t expected was for Lance to pick his way through the fifteen or so people clustered on the living room floor and to plant himself on Keith’s lap. The brunette had rushed over as soon as his family was done opening gifts, and seeing as there were very young children involved, christmas had began at six in the morning (unlike The House, who hadn’t woken fully until sometime around nine). When Keith let out a squeak and stared at him, Lance simply shrugged and tossed his legs over the arm of the chair, sitting sideways.

“What? There’s no other space!”

“Pretty sure there’s room on the floor, Lance,” Keith huffed a little, but when the brunette made no effort to move, he simply sank deeper into the chair. Purple eyes shifted to where Lotor was sitting beside Curtis, knees pulled up and draped in a blanket. The white haired teenager had been there for a week now and other than Matt, he hadn’t made any friends. He and Keith were quite similar, it seemed.

Tradition in the house was to share happy thoughts about other people you live with, or even friends outside of the house who are supportive, so as people went around and shared happy things, Lance shuffled around and sat back to chest with Keith. He snickered when he felt the older teen let out a loud sigh, then immediately blushed as Keith curled his arms around his waist and hauled him even closer.

“You’re a pain in my ass, McClain,” Keith told him. “At least you’re warm, so you get to stay.”

“I’d rather you be a pain in /my/ ass.”

“What?”

Lance’s eyes went wide and no doubt Keith felt him tense up as he realized he had said that out loud, and he certainly hadn’t meant to. He absolutely didn’t mean to blatantly state that he wanted Keith in his ass, no matter how often he had thought about it.

“Lance…”

“Nope, nope, just nope, I’m out,” Lance shook his head, trying to extract himself from Keith’s arm and vacate Keith’s lap as soon as possible. Keith tightened his arms around Lance’s waist.

“Lance.” Keith’s voice was firm this time, and he spoke just sharply enough that Curtis heard him over the sounds of everyone else chatting and laughing, blue eyes glancing away from his conversation with his husband’s as he watched from across the room.

“I’m sorry,” Lance all but whined, squirming as he continued his efforts to escape. “I didn’t mean to say it, it just slipped out. It was stupid, I know. I’m sorry, really sorry.” Keith carefully released Lance, but tugged on his shoulder in an attempt to get him to turn around so they could face each other. Much to his surprise, Lance did as asked, even if the new position involved Lance straddling Keith’s lap.

“Look,” Keith told him, resting his hands on Lance’s hips without even thinking. “I get it. You like me, that’s pretty obvious, and sure, you’re pretty cute, but… I’m still figuring things out, and I can’t… I wouldn’t make a good boyfriend right now. And you deserve a good boyfriend.”

“You… think I’m cute…?”

“Well duh,” Keith rolled his eyes. “I’m emotionally unstable, not blind, Lance.”

“Oh…”

“Right now I’m enjoying being your friend, and getting to know you. If that okay with you?”

When Lance looked as though he had questions, Keith waited patiently for the brunette to gather his thoughts. He may have only been hanging out with Lance for the last two weeks, and while Lance had been spending more time at The House than he used to, there was still a good deal of time they were apart. But that didn’t mean they weren’t texting a lot, something Keith found he enjoyed, especially because he felt it was easier to talk about certain topics when they weren’t face to face.

“Can we still cuddle?”

“Obviously. Friends cuddle, don’t they? Besides, like I said, you’re warm. I appreciate having a massive hot water bottle constantly squished against me.” Keith couldn’t help the small smile, though it grew larger when Lance slumped forward against him and pressed his face into Keith’s shoulder.

“I’m going to be the bestest best friend ever,” Lance vowed, his words muffled in the shoulder of Keith’s usual oversize hoodie. Keith sighed and wrapped his arms around Lance once again, resting his chin on Lance’s shoulder. He caught sight of Curtis watching them and blushed, quickly glancing away.

Sure, a good part of him had wanted to tell Lance he liked him, too, but another part of him worried that he was simply attaching himself to Lance because he was the first person to truly show interest in him. The last thing he wanted was to say yes, date Lance, and then to figure out that he didn’t actually want anything other than friendship from the younger teen. He wanted to stay friends with Lance as long as possible, even if that meant ignoring the way Lance made his heart rate increase when ever they touched.

There was plenty of time, he told himself. He could hang out with Lance over the holidays, and they could talk while at school. He wasn’t going to jump into this, even if he had to keep repeating that to himself over, and over, and over.

Lotor, on the other hand, received a notification on his phone and, upon reading it, blushed and bit his bottom lip. Leaning over to mumble something in Curtis’ ear, the brunette nodded and patted Lotor on the knee before the nearly-eighteen year old moved to his feet and hustled for the front door.

Waiting out front was one Matt Holt, the brunette grinning as Lotor slid carefully into the passenger seat. He didn’t hesitate to help Lotor with his seat belt, making the younger male blush. Just like Lance and Keith, Lotor and Matt had been texting almost non-stop, and both knew that they would probably get weird looks from people seeing as they were four years apart in age, but they really didn’t care. Lotor would be eighteen in a week, and if this was headed where the two of them were fairly sure it was, he would be legal.

“Are you sure your parents don’t mind?”

“Nah,” Matt smiled. “They’re always happy to have more people in the house, and Pidge has already declared you my boyfriend, so, well, there’s that.”

“What? Really? After a week of chatting?”

“It’s Pidge,” Matt shrugged, as though that answered the question. When Lotor glanced over at him with a confused expression, Matt remembered that Lotor was a new friend and had no idea about his family dynamics.

“She likes pairing people off,” he explained. “Though I think it helps that I’ve never had a real, uh… partner? Like, I have no real gender preference, so I don’t want to say boyfriend, but, yeah, I’ve never had one.”

“Does she know how we met?”

“You mean does she know how you got injured and how come you’re still sporting a bruised face?”

“Yeah…”

“My parents know,” Matt said, driving carefully on the winter roads. “Pidge knows you were brought to The House, and almost all the kids there are from unsafe homes, so the basic understanding is there.”

“I’ve never had a boyfriend… or had sex… or kissed…” Lotor frowned some, looking down where his broken wrist rested within the plush sleeve of his winter jacket.

“Do you want to do those things? We can just be friends, you know.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Lotor said bluntly, making Matt burst out laughing.

“You don’t want to take things slow? Get to know one another?”

“Nope. I want a boyfriend, and everything that comes with it, and we can get to know one another as we go along.”

“Should be a wild ride,” Matt nodded. “I’m down for it. Let’s go on an adventure together.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are welcomed, comments are awesome!
> 
> Join our [Voltron Discord!](https://discord.gg/JnC529h)


End file.
